LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 6: Trapped
Meanwhile, back at the academy's stadium and in the room where the instructors were observing the students through the magic hologram, a blackout suddenly interrupted the broadcast. All the screens turned dark, and nothing was on them but blackness. The instructors and the students who watched the hologram were engulfed in confusion; their anxious whispers turned into a cacophony of concern and frustration.
Astrovis was actually running the experiment and quickly picked up that something was gravely amiss. An event like this had never happened before. All of the magical orb recording devices of the students stopped functioning at once. This event would have gone against the safeguards the students had. Astrovis was called to a sudden meeting with the other instructors in which there were panic and guesses.
"It appears that someone intentionally disabled all the magical devices on the island," a senior instructor reported. "Even the emergency teleportation rune is inoperable."
An aggressive instructor seized the moment to embarrass Astrovis. "Astrovis, this is one colossal failure on your part. You have disappointed the Archmage who allowed you to handle this job. If these students are in danger, you will answer for it," he sneered, his voice dripping with venom.
Astrovis, despite being annoyed, kept his cool. The situation was grim. It seemed like someone had constructed a strong wall around the whole island, making it impossible for teleportation or communication. The island seemed to have been simply erased from reality, and tracking the teleportation rune was impossible.
"Listen," Astrovis said, his voice steady but urgent. "We need to figure out what's obstructing our connection and find a way to enter the island. The students' lives depend on it."
The instructors' faces were etched with anxiety. Despite their vast knowledge and power, they felt powerless in this moment. They could only hope that the students inside the island would protect and save each other, buying time while the instructors worked tirelessly to find a solution.
In the dense forest at the base of the volcano, Zarek sensed something ominous. A domain had been activated, enveloping the base to the top of the volcano. To enter it meant stepping directly into the enemy's lair.
"System 64, track the whole island and tell me what's happening," Zarek requested as he traversed through the forest.
"There's a powerful barrier caging the entire island, disrupting the magic flow," System 64 reported. Zarek had already noticed the difficulty in casting spells.
He stepped forward, reached out to touch the surface of the domain wall. He tried to step back. He could get in, but couldn't get out. It was a one-way door. To get rid of the barrier and to let help come from the academy, he needed to stop the one casting it.
"The students are in serious danger," Zarek whispered to himself. "But the barrier needs to be broken first. Leo will take care of the rest."
Movement across the domain proved difficult; everything inside weighed double, and climbing was not the easiest thing. Second, the magic barrier hindered their use of magic. On the other hand, Zarek was coached to perform with pressure. Climbing the mountain, he became a shadow of an assassin-like agility, and all this on the restriction part.
At the top, Zarek saw three students desperately fighting a strong enemy. The fight was uneven; students could hardly stand, with numerous wounds all over their bodies. A girl, going all out, was knocked unconscious from a vicious attack, thrown into the air from the force.
Without hesitation, Zarek darted forward to catch her, preventing a fatal fall. The enemy, a dark figure in black clothing and bandages, emitted a sinister aura. His eyes were darkened, a clear sign of the dark association.
"So, the dark association is involved," Zarek thought, irritation bubbling up. The presence of a "corrupt wolf" confirmed his suspicion. He recognized the scent—this enemy was one of the association's trained warriors, known for their ruthless tactics.
The enemy sensed Zarek's presence and was wary. He struck with all his might, controlling the gravity of his swords to triple their weight and impact. A single hit would shatter Zarek's body. However, Zarek dodged fluidly with a precision that anticipated the enemy's every move, as predicted by his radar senses.
The enemy pressed on without relent, his swordsmanship on full display. Zarek deflected each blow, a dance of survival in his movements. His radar sense zones allowed him to sense and predict the attacks, but time was running short. To end this, he needed to disable the artifacts supporting the barrier's energy flow.
Every attempt to come near the artifact was met by the enemy. Both knew that close combat without total focus could be fatal. Their capabilities were even, countering each other's moves.
The enemy realized that Zarek was strong. He would unmask his final attack. "You are strong," he admitted. "You will have the honor of witnessing my strongest move."
Zarek prepared himself, knowing that the killer move was coming. The power of the domain focused on Zarek's location, increasing the gravity fivefold. He was thrown to his knees, the weight pressing down mercilessly.
Zarek gritted his teeth as he struggled against the overwhelming force. The enemy chuckled, closing in to finish him off. But Zarek went into his automatic mode—his body and senses honed to their limits. He felt every movement within a 5 cm radius of his skin, his reflexes ready to strike in an instant if danger were to present itself.
He therefore remained immobile on his knee because Zarek was strapped. His reaction time being slower than normal set in only in 0.9 seconds with the neck getting a quicker kick from the blade's edge of the sword than he anticipated and cut the head off that soldier before that man knew what he was being up against. This brought everything within the domain to a stop; the soldier's head tumbled to the floor. With a face full of disgust and hate, the enemy managed to utter, "Fuck you, so you were alive."
Zarek did not even bother to hear him and destroyed the artifact. Looking up, he saw the barrier in the sky disappearing.